Pain is an unpleasant physical and emotional sensation. The physical sensation can be described as sharp, stabbing, burning, or tearing and can be constant or throbbing in nature. The emotional experience of pain can include fear, stress, anxiety, and even depression. Pain can be classified broadly into acute pain and chronic pain.

The assessment and treatment of pain hinges on good communication between you and your doctor. You are the one who knows your pain best, so it is important for you to communicate the characteristics and severity of your pain honestly and accurately. Sometimes the cause of pain is obvious (e.g., a burn or cut), but many times some detective work is needed to determine the cause.

The body's system for processing the sensation of pain is very complex and involves many different levels. Each level may either amplify or suppress messages from an area of injury. When strong pain messages run unchecked through the body, they can end up doing further harm to the body as a whole, causing, for instance, the stress response or the evolution of chronic pain.

Although pain can protect us by forcing us to rest an injury or to stop doing something, the experience of being in a state of uncontrolled pain is horrible, frightening, and can have a profound effect on our quality of life. Uncontrolled pain can: delay healing decrease appetite increase stress disrupt sleep cause anxiety and depression Unrelieved pain has consequences It turns out that healing is actually delayed when pain caused by tissue damage is not relieved.

The 6 million Canadians who live with pain carry a unique bundle of burdens. Beyond the actual physical sensation of pain, the costs of pain can be far-reaching and life-changing, affecting the day-to-day life of the one in pain and those close to them in many unexpected and challenging ways. The personal burdens of pain For those living with it, pain can be devastating and disruptive to the flow of life.